Beat-up mechanism for braiding machines



y 1933- s. B. BLAISDELL 1,918,175

BEAT-UP MECHANISM FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l July 11, 1933.

S; B. BLAISDELL BEAT-UP MECHANISM FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 11, 1933- s. B. BLAISDELL 1,913,175

BEAT-UP MECHANISM FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jul 11, 1933. s. B. BLAISDELL 1,918,175

BEAT-UP MECHANISM FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 11, 1933 curtain STAT Ei S PATENT oF icE;

SIDNEY B. JBLAISDELL, F WYNCOTE, PENNSYLVANIA; ASS'IGNOR: TO' FIDELITY MACHINE GOIVIBANSLOF JVIITNIIN'GrTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BEAT-UP MEGHANISlfl FOR BRA'IZDING MACHINES Application filed June/18,

This invention relates to mechanism for beating: up or closely packing the threads of a braidedi product at the braiding point of a braiding machine during"the-formation of the product, and isparticularly adaptable for use with" a machine making-wbraided prod? nct having a relatively'large number of ends or threads interbraided together, such as that shown and described in my prior' United States Patent No. 1,742,126, dated Dec. 31, 1929;.

Theconstruction: and operation of the mechanism forniing the subject of the present in vent-ion I will'be inli e described"hereinafter, reference minghad to the accompanying drawings; of which :v

Fig, 1 is a rear elevationof abraiding machine show-.inlrthe beaterapplied thereto;

F isasc \tional plan view taken on the line i r I Fig.3 is a view'siinilarto Fig; 2, drawn on an enlarged scale; a i p I? at is azsectional elevation taken on the line 1 4T, FigLS; and" Figis a: side view: of vcntion. V

The braii'lingmachine comprises a mainbed plate 1. supported by legs 2,2 2; Sup portedibv pos s e3 f'rom the bed plate=1 is a bobbin carrier supporting platform- 4:, be tween which and the base plate 1 is-rotatably mounted a plurality of hormgears 5, having horns-6 adapted to engage depending projections- 7 that extend downwardly fromthe bobbin carriers 831021 the platform #1, through slots 9 fnrmeditrthe bobbincarriersuppert ing-plattorm 41- The slot-s9; d iagrammatically'illustrated 111 F io .ii'nnction asrguidcs for the bobbin carriers Ste-effect: interbraidinp; of the threads 10* which are drawn fronr bobbins; 11 sup- D(')11(.Fl by. tlieacarriers 8; theth1reads10passinc" from guide posts- 12 on the carriers-to the braiding. point 1 atthe lower en d ormouth of a detailofthe inthe'braiding mandrel or tube 13; which issupported-zabove the platform 4 and-the'carriers mounted thereon: the' finishedproduct X passingupwardly tl'irougz hthe tube 13 to and between apaii of tal c up "rolls- 14 and15i- The horn gears interinesh one withan- 1930. Serial No. 462,016.

cured to the opposite ends of. a main horizontally disposed shaftQQwhieh isprovided with a driving-pulley 23. r I V Secured to and extending. upwardlyfrom the bed plate 1 at the opposite sides thereof are standards 241 and 25, which support? a,- horizontally disposed bridge beam 26.

Thenpper end of the verticalisliaft 1-8 is V rotatably monnted'in abearing 27 secured to the bridge beam 28 while the lower end of saidshaft is rotatably mounted in bearings 28' and- 29 formed in abracket 30 secured to the bed plate 1. i

The upper end of the vertical? shaft 19' is rotatably mounted in a bearing' 31 securedto the standard 25, and the lower endof said shaft is rotatably mounted in bearingsf32 and 33 formed in abracket 34 secured to the'bed plate 1-.

The opposite ends-of the main horizontal shaft 22' are rotatably mounted in bearings 35 and 36formed'respectively inthebracliets 30-and:341l- Thotake-up roll 14 is secured t'o one end-0f a horizontal: shaft 87- which is rotatably mountedv at one :end in abearingSS secured to thebr-idge: beam 26 and at its oppositeend in .abearing 39' secured to on formed in the standard 25. V

The bearing 38 is providedwvith aibracket.

in which is secured a stud il iand on'the" As the shaft 22 is rotated the carriers 8 are moved through various intertwining paths, and in various directions to effect 1nterbraiding of the threads 10 at the mouth Y of the manorel tube 13 and in order to produce amore compactly formed product I provide at the mouth of the mandrel tube 13 a plurality of boaters 50, arranged around the mouth of the tube 13, clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the heaters being adapted for nuwements in planes extending radially from the axis of the mandrel tube.

Each of the heaters 50 comprises a substantially straight body bar 51 having a series of pins 52 extending longitudinally from one end of the bar 51, thereby forming a comb, the teeth of which move into position between the crossed and interbraided threads 10 at a point removed from the mandrel and then move in a substantially straight line parallel to the plane of the crossed thread to a point immediately adjacent the mouth of the mandrel tube 13 which beats or packs the crossed threads tightly at the braiding point Y, located at the mouth of the mandrel tube 13.

The teeth 50 of the beater combs are then withdrawn from the beaten product and travel in a. reverse direction above the plane of the threads then being crossed and interbraided by the actions o the bobbin carrier 8'. the comb teeth 52 then reentering the crossedthreads at the above mentioned remote point for a repeat of the operation just described.

Upon referring to Fi 4+. and the action of the beater comb will be quite apparent, the teeth 52 entering between the crossed threads 10 (see Fig. 2" for the crossing of the threads) at the point y, following a downward path 7 in entering the plane of the crossed threads 10, thence through a long arcuatc path y which is substantially straight and parallel to the plane of the cross threads 10, then gradually curving upward to the plane of the cross threads and leaving the plane of the crossed threads immediately adjacent the mouth of the mandrel tube 13, as illustrated at The comb teeth 52 then travel in a reverse direction above the plane of the threads 10, reentering the p ane of the threads at the pointg for a repeat of the operation. 2

The teeth 52, as is apparent from the drawings and the above description, describe a substantially elliptical path, which is accomplished by pivotally mounting each beater bar 51 on a crank pin at a point spaced from and behind the comb teeth 52, the opposite end of the bar 51 sliding between and being guided by spaced guides 54, 54c. I

In the present instance the crank pm 53 projects laterally from a gear 55, which constitutes the crank arm, the gear being rotatably mounted on a fixed bracket 56 which also functions as a support for the guide pins 541-, 54.

The brackets 56 are secured to an upper or supplementary bed plate 57 which is supported at one side from the bridge beam 26 by rods 58, 58, the opposite side of the bed plate 57 being supported from the main bed plate 1 of the machine by arms 59, 59, mounted in bearing blocks 60, 60 which are supported by standards 61, 61 secured to and projecting upwardly from the main bed plate 1.

The gear wheels 55 each mesh with a gear 62, which is secured to a shaft 63. Each shaft 63 is rotatably mounted at one of its ends in one of the brackets 56 and at its opposite end in a bearing 64 secured to theupper bed plate 57. Each shaft 63is provided with a bevel gear 65 which meshes with a similar gear on the adjacent end of another of the shafts 63, the axes of the shafts 63' forming a square around and having the mandrel tube 13 as its center.

()ne of the shafts 63 is provided with a bevel gear 66 which meshes with a bevel gear 67 secured to the lower end of an upright shaft 68 that is rotatably mounted in a bearing 69 secured to the upper bed plate-57.

On the upper end of the vertical shaft 68 is secured a pulley 70 adapted to be driven from a pulley 71 on the vertical shaft 18 by a. belt 72 so that the shafts 68 are all driven at the same speed and in timed relation to each other for operating the heaters or combs 50 in timed relation to each other, it beingnoted from the drawings that no two of the combs 50 are performing the'same identical part of their cycle of operation at the same time but follow successively around the machine and the product being produced, thus insuring an even and regular beat up of all the threads completely around the product.

I claim:

1. The combination of a braiding machine utilizing a plurality of braiding threads, a heater co-operating with the braiding mechanism and disposed above the braiding threads to compact the threads at the braiding point of the machine, said beater comprising aseries of elements disposed around the I braiding point above said braiding threads and adapted to enter the braided threads from above and at points removed from said braiding point, and means for advancing the beater elements successively toward the said braiding point, and for withdrawing said elements from said threads adjacent the braiding point of the machine to a return position above said threads.

2. The combination of a braiding machine utilizing a plurality of braiding threads, a heater co-operating with the braiding mechanism to compact the threads at the braiding point of the machine, said beater comprising a series of elements disposed around the braiding point, each beater element comprising a body element and a plurality of teeth at one end of said body element, a crank rotatably connected to the body element adjacent the toothed end thereof and a guide for the opposite end of the body element whereby upon rotation of the crank the teeth of the body elements enter the braided threads at points removed from the braiding point, ad Vance toward the braiding point, and Withdraw from the threads adjacent the braiding point.

3. In a braiding machine employing a plurality of thread guides operating in a common plane through intertwining paths crossing at central, perimetric and intermediate points of a predetermined. area of said plane,

said machine having a braiding station spaced from said plane and to which the threads extend from said guides in closely massed interlaced and relatively moving relation to each other, a heater adjacent said station outside said mass of threads, means for projecting said heater into said mass at an outer position spaced from said station and for retracting said beater from said mass at an inner position immediately adjacent said station and in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane in corresponding relation to the direction of movement of the resulting product from said station, and means for advanclng sald beater through said mass from said outer position to said inner position and for returning said beater to said from said plane and to which the threads extend irom said guicles'in closely massed interlaced and relatively moving relation to each other, a beater comprising a plurality of beater elements disposed around and adjacent said station outside said mass of threads, means for projecting each of said beater elements into said mass at an outer position spaced from said station and for retracting said beater elements froln said mass at inner positions immediately adjacent said station and in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane in corresponding relation to the direction of movement of the resulting product from said station, and means for advancing said beater elements through said mass from said outer positions to said inner positions and for returning said beater elements to said outer positions along paths outside said mass subsequent to the retraction, of the beater elements from said mass. SIDNEY B. BLAISDELL.

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